Major Change Of Ownership For Gibraltarian Club

Lions Gibraltar FC have today announced that the club has completed a new ownership takeover, in a statement released on their site.

Lions FC were founded in 1966 by a group of young fans impressed and inspired by the success of the English World Cup-winning national team, before merging with Gibraltar United in 2011 which saw the club change its name to Lions Gibraltar FC.

Since the nation was accepted into UEFA at the start of the 2013-14 season, the club have only broken into the top four on one occasion, in 2016. This year, the side currently sit bottom in the Gibraltar Football League, having only amassed two points in their first 12 matches. Lions will be hoping for a better second half of the season as they look to make the most of the January transfer window.

The club announced earlier today that Mark Palmer has completed the ownership takeover and become the owner and chairman of the club with immediate effect. Palmer, who is currently a board member and CEO at England National League side Solihull Moors FC, expressed his pride in taking over the historic club.

“It really is a proud moment for me and I’m honoured to be the new Owner and Chairman of this great football club.”

The Englishman has also expressed his gratitude to the current Lions board members, specifically Alex Grech, Kadrian Bugeja and Daniel Buhagiar for their custodianship of the club.

Darryl Eales, Chairman and Majority Owner of Solihull, also joins the newly formed board as the two clubs seek to create a strong link.

Lions will look to get their new era off to a strong start as they face Lynx this weekend.

Writer’s View

This move could prove to be a major step forward for not just Lions but the wider Gibraltarian Football system. The leagues are constantly going through reform in the small nation, but a move like this could help shine a light on Gibraltar and its unique football system.

For Lions, the significance cannot be understated. This move and the potential of setting up a multi-club model with Solihull could provide the side with opportunities to bring players across from Britain. A push up the league may be a tough ask this season; however, with the first round of the Rock Cup taking place over the next two weeks, it could provide the side an immediate opportunity to lay down their intentions for the future.